To move DD (yr 10) into private and even consider repeating a year

[tommyketchup]

DD has been on steady decline wrt school work since the start of year 9 and then lockdown was a complete disaster (she did literally nothing when we weren't at home which as key workers wasn't much) and is now on course to fail her GCSE's having previously been a bright if not particularly diligent student. Year 7 & 8 she was predicted 6 & 7's with a couple of 8's, this slipped to 5/6's possible few 7's by the end of year 9 and now she'll be lucky to get 5's in even her best subjects.

When we realised how bad it had got (with hindsight too late) we tried to work with her current school to get her re-engaged but frankly, they have been shit and we are now seriously considering moving her out of her current school into private either for year 11 or possibly to repeat year 10.

The idea of moving schools won't phase her but I don't think going down a year will go down so well . The school we have in mind has a place and is willing to discuss repeating a year but we need to decided ASAP. It's not particularly academic (which is fine) but will have far higher expectations in terms of workload & class engagement plus is one of the top performers in her sporting passion so an amazing opportunity in that respect but clearly very late in her academic career to consider a move. Due to her sport, she mixes with a lot of private school children anyway and has always been a bit 'they are so lucky woe poor me' and is very competitive and driven in this area so private school is definitely something I've always thought she'd suit but has never been on the cards financially until now.

Are we mad? Is it even worth it if she's only going into year 11? Has anyone else ever moved this late or put their child down a year? Help - we need to decide in the next 2 weeks as they are closing for the summer soon.

I absolutely would, from y10, of you can afford it. Much, much less value if only for y11

Without a doubt if I could afford it, I would do this.

If you can afford it, do it. Its not late in her school career she's at the start of the biggest 3/4 years. I work in private and we have numerous out of year people and more newcomers every year than you tend to get in state.

Also my school admin doesn't close over the summer.. The support staff, admissions, Bursary et. Are all there

Of course you are not being unreasonable to consider it. With the sport it sounds like an opportunity that she might jump at. There’s still the issue of her being pulled from her school network and dropped into a different one midway through the normal course of things - don’t underestimate this - but your DD may not be that bothered if she’s disengaged from school already.

I would think dropping into yr11 would be very difficult as even if she had been working last year she won’t necessarily have covered the bits the new school covered. So redoing yr10 makes some sense. But it’s not, as I’m sure you realise, a decision that MN can make for you. You need to sit with DD and the school and talk about the pros and cons of repeating yr10 and of moving school more generally.

Go and look round. Slight alarm bells about being good at a particular sport and not particularly academic. IME this type of school can put the sport above all and really neglect the academics.

Most private schools wouldn’t even consider Y11 entry. When is her birthday? June-August I’d suggest repeating. Before then will not be great for her socially or fit her own self esteem.

I would say if she can pull her grades up sending her for 6th form would be the best idea.

I can’t help with most of your questions but one thing I can say is were she to repeat yr 10 in a private school she would probably not be the only newbie.

In many public schools yr 9 is the first year. In a big public school (600+children) there are always children (2 or 3) who leave after one year either because they are expelled, their parents financial circumstances change or they simply don’t like the school.

If she does repeat you may need to consider how this would affect her competing in her sport, it may have no affect but you should ask.

Starting a new school in year 11 doesn’t seem like the best idea to me.

Or get a tutor, really work at it then join the private school in year 12.

Yes double check age groups for her sport.

Yes I would move and repeat.

If the school is really good they will be honest with you about whether they think it will be the best thing (as opposed to having a falling role and wanting your cash)

Role?
Roll

I would if you can afford it, as long as she's on board. If she's not particularly bothered, she may not use the chance to pull herself back.

Move her and repeat the year. It’s too late to catch everything up in one year. Contact private schools now; except for top London schools, there are often occasional places for those who will pay full tuition. You will have to encourage her to find her mojo, but having a peer group of hard working children will help a great deal.

If you are going to do it it would have to be from the start of Y10 as it's highly unlikely the private school will be following the same curriculum/exam boards/set books as her current school.

With all the help in the world she won't get good GCSE results if she isn't engaged. You can do lot, as can school but she has to be determined and driven herself. If you can afford it and they are willing for her to repeat a year and she is on board most importantly, it is worth a try.

I am not sure why you think their expectations will be higher if 'they are not particularly academic' and are especially good at a sport she is into.
Chances are she will continue to coast where she can apart from the sport she enjoys. It will make very little difference for Y11. If you can afford to pay for y10 and y11, it might be more worth it. However, I would guard against thinking that because it's private she will automatically do better.

I think she needs to be on board with all of it - the dropping down a year. They wouldn't normally take state school students in year 11 due to igcse curriculum being different and more than half way through.

If she is kicking and screaming about dropping back, she'll be miserable, angry, resentful and unwilling to make the most of it and study more.

If you can get her on board then do it. Or alternatively you get tutors now and have her study and try and catch up over the summer but just target the subjects she is mostly likely to want to take for a levels and possibly English and maths too, if they need work.

I wouldn't if you are only doing it for the academic results.

She is unlikely to get good results from a not particularly academic private school unless she puts in a lot of effort herself which is doesn't sound like she will do.

I say this as the parent of a child at a school like this. It's fine and the reasons we chose it (it's small and my daughter is an "under the radar type of child" with low confidence) have been borne out but I have to give her lots of support in the academics at home.

@cansu

I am not sure why you think their expectations will be higher if 'they are not particularly academic' and are especially good at a sport she is into. Chances are she will continue to coast where she can apart from the sport she enjoys. It will make very little difference for Y11. If you can afford to pay for y10 and y11, it might be more worth it. However, I would guard against thinking that because it's private she will automatically do better.

Yes I agree. I actually moved my dd from a school that sounded similar, to a more academic private school as her GCSEs weren't good enough and they had no qualms about her missing lessons to compete for the school

When is her birthday? She might be more amenable to repeating if you can convince her of the benefits of being one of the first in her cohort to get driving lessons or go to the pub rather than one of the last
The year seems such a lot at her age but in the grand scheme is nothing.
At some point in life she is going to need to motivate herself so consider carefully whether your money is best spent now or supporting her late when she sees the downside of her laziness for herself and wants to return to education.

Yes, I did it. DD started after the May half term of Yr10. She dropped one subject and picked up a GCSE subject she'd last studied in Yr8. She also got a 50% academic scholarship which was helpful.

Came out with 3xA* (iGCSE), 6x grade 9 and 2 x grade 8z

I think it helped that they have international boarders so we're used to getting g kids up to speed quickly.

I'd do it again in a heartbeat

Yes, move her and keep her there to the end.
She’ll get so much out of the sport.

As to which year to join, if it were 11, would the syllabus followed at the new school match those at her old one? If so she could do it but maybe have some tutorial help with weak subjects that are essential ( Maths and English).

If it would be too difficult to move to year 11, when is her birthday? Would the school tell you if there are plenty of autumn born children who would be closer to her in age?
If there are, the age gap wouldn’t matter at all. Think of University where some have
deferred and others haven’t.

Move and repeat. I wish my parents had done this for me!